It all started on November 17, 1864. That's the day that 25-year-old Ferdinand Gross founded a "Hardware dealership for screw, blacksmith, cabinetry, and carriage maker articles".
Over the next 150 years, the Ferdinand Gross company grew into one of Germany's leading providers of fastening parts – and is still owned by the family today. We're proud of our history, and consider that tradition to be both validation and inspiration for the future.
From the beginnings to today
| 1864 | Founded by Ferdinand Gross in Stuttgart's Hauptstätterstraße as a hardware store |
| 1880/1889 | Sons Alfred and Emil each join their father's company at the age of 14 |
| 1890 | Moved to Olgastraße and expanded the business offices |
| 1903 | Son Emil becomes co-owner at Ferdinand Gross |
| 1904 | Named a Royal Court Supplier |
| 1908 | Alfred and Emil Gross join management |
| 1914 | 50-year anniversary of the company. Ferdinand Gross enters retirement on April 1. He dies a few months later on the 27th September. World War I interrupts the country's economic growth |
| 1928 | On April 1, Franz Hering, the son-in-law of Emil Gross, joins the company |
| 1933 | Emil Gross dies at age 58, and Franz Hering takes over the company. He expands the product line of screws, and the customer focus moves from craftsmen to industry |
| 1934 | Franz Hering adds the hexagon socket screw ("Inbus") into the product line |
| 1945-48 | World War II also left its mark on the Ferdinand Gross company. Recovered goods can be resold in the preserved Stuttgart business offices |
| 1956 | Dieter Hering, the son of Franz Hering, joins the company |
| 1964 | 100-year anniversary. Günther and Dieter Hering join the Board of Directors as personally liable partners |
| 1971 | Move to Leinfelden-Echterdingen |
| 1976 | Franz Hering dies at the age of 79. Change of legal form to GmbH & Co. KG |
| 1984 | 120-year anniversary. About ten years after the move, Ferdinand Gross has more than doubled sales |
| 1991 | Gerald Hering, the son of Dieter Hering, joins the Board of Directors. Founding of the Dresden subsidiary |
| 1995 | Sole managing directorship taken over by Gerald Hering. Introduction of C-parts management (kanban) |
| 2005 | Founding of foreign subsidiaries in Budapest (Hungary) and Wrocław (Poland). Awarded the Win-Win Cup by the VDI |
| 2006 | Awarded the Top 100 seal of quality |
| 2007 | Awarded the Top JOB and Top 100 seals of quality. Founding of foreign subsidiaries in Prague (Czech Republic) and Arad (Romania) |
| 2008 | Expansion of locations in Poland and Hungary |
| 2009 | Complete modernization of logistics. Awarded the Top 100 seal of quality again |
| 2010 | Optimization of all organizational processes, and conversion to a new document management system (DMS) |
| 2011 | Relaunch of the Web shop. Awarded the Top 100 seal of quality again |
| 2012 | Introduction of the FALCON kanban visualization software |
| 2013 | Awarded the Top 100 seal of quality for the fifth time |
| 2014 | 150-year company anniversary. Awarded the TOP JOB seal of quality again as top employer |
| 2015 | BOS GmbH & Co. KG awarded Ferdinand Gross the "Excellence Supplier of the BOS Group 2014" Award. 10-year company anniversary in Poland and Hungary. For the sixth time awarded the TOP 100 seal of quality |
| 2016 | Awarded the "Excellence Supplier of the BOS Group" of BOS GmbH & Co. KG again for 2015. Ferdinand Gross receives the DB Suppliers`Award from Deutsche Bahn |
| 2017 | BOS GmbH & Co. KG awarded Ferdinand Gross the "Excellence Supplier of the BOS Group 2016" Award. For the seventh time awarded the TOP 100 seal of quality |